Tripod leg



H. NEUWIRTH Feb. 15, 1949.

TRIPOD LEG Filed March 8, 1946 Patented Feb. 15, 1949 Herman- Ncuwirth; New York, N. Y., assignor to Testritelnstrument Co., Inc., New York, N; Y., a corporation of New York Application March s, 1946, serial No. 652,895

j 1 Claim. l

This invention relates to tripod legs adjustably connected to 'a supporting base or head for a camera or other instrument'and comprising. tubular telescoping. sections adapted to be adjusted outwardly from each other to provide legs of diiierent lengthsfor varying the height at'which the 'supporting head or base is to be positioned in use andmeans to releasably secure or lock the leg-sections' inadjusted` position, and said sections adapted.' to*` be adjusted relative to each other rwhenreleased to= arrange the legs oi shortened. compact form to facilitate transportling andfstoringithe. tripod.

Itis the object of the invention to providefan improved telescoping tripod leg structure of this character4 and means` for releasab-ly securing the leg sections in adjusted position;v which is simple in construction and eicient in use.

Itis another objectof the invention to` provide improvedl means for releasably securing or locking. togetherv the telescoping sections of a: tripod leg to prevent telescoping movement-of the leg sections, comprising 4means carried at an end of one of thesections and` connedwithin the other leg section operative byl movement ofthe leg sections. relativeto' eachother in one: direction to secure or lock the leg sections and automatically release the leg sections to permit of telescoping adjustment thereof by movement of the leg sectionsrelativeto each other in the-'opposite direction. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description of the construction andl arrangement of the tripod leg and securing or locking means.

In the drawing accompanyingv and forming a part ofthis-application Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional view of a tripod leg showing an embodiment of the means for releasably securingor locking together the telescoping sections of a tripodQ-leg.

Figure 2 is a sectional vview=` taken on theline 2-'2 of Fig-urel.

Figure 3*' isI alongitudinal: sectional vView of a portion 'off the telescoping sections cfa tripod leg and showing modiiied means embodying the invention for releasably securing or locking together the telescoping sections of a tripod leg.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing modified means embodying thel invention for releasably securing or locking together the telescoping sections of a tripod leg.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line B-G of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a View similar to Figure 3 showing further modified means embodying the invention for releasably securing or lockingl together the telescoping sections of a tripod leg; and

Figure 8 is a sectional View taken on the line t--fiof Figure 7.

In carrying out the invention as illustrated in Figures l and 2 the tripod supporting leg com-- prises tubular sections, shown as two in number 9- and I0, the section I 0 being of less diametery than and slidable' in the section 9. To limit the outward movement of the leg sections the outer ieg section 9 is reduced in diameter at the outer end, as atl Il, to substantially the diameter .of the inner 'section I0 and the inner end of the sectiony I0 is arranged of increased diameter substantially equal to the inne!1 diameter of the leg section 9, as at I2, the. shoulder formed by said enlarged portion being adapted to engage the shoulder formed by the reduced portion I I. The leg section I0 is mounted in the section 9 by engaging it into the end ofthe section 9 opposite the reduced endl II, and said outer end of section 9 is closed by a cap memberl3 suitably connected to said end of the leg section 9, as by a screw threaded connection, the capl member I3 being arranged to pivotally connect the leg to a supporting base or head I4, as at I5, to have angular adjustment relative to said head I4, there being three legs connected to said head `equidistantly spaced about the same, and the head adapted for the Imounting of a camera or other instrument thereon.

To releasably secure or lock the leg sections together in -diierent adjusted positions the end of the section I-ldisposed within the section 9 is arranged with a head portion I-B the outer surface of which inclines outwardly toward the axis of the leg section. As shown this head is of trun cated `conical form withthe base of a diameter substantially the same as the enlarged` portion I2lvv atthe end of the leg section Ill and the internal diameter' of the leg section 9. The headli forms an annular space between the periphery of the head and the wall of the leg section 9 of progressively increasing cross section from the -ba'se of the head to the outer end thereof and having freely moving members I8 therein disposed in a circular row adapted by the frictional engagement thereof with lthe peripheral surface of the head and the inner surface of the leg section 9 and telescopng movement of the leg sections toward each other to be wedged between the head I6 and the leg section 9 and thereby securing or locking the leg sections together, and said wedging engagement of said members with the head I6 and the leg section being augmented by the force of the weight of the tripod head and the camera or other instrument mounted thereon transmitted to the leg section 9 and through the wedge members to the leg section I and tending to more firmly and securely connecting the leg sections together. These freely movable members, as shown, comprise a series of balls disposed in a circular row in the space I1 and confined therein by a plate I9 of a diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the leg section 9 secured to the outer end of the head portion I G. By movement of the leg section I9 outwardly from the leg section 9 and movement of the leg section 9 in the opposite direction the wedge members I8 are moved out of wedging position and release the leg sections whereby the leg section I0 may have telescoping movement into the leg section 9. Should it be desired to release the leg sections when the leg section I9 is adjusted to its outermost position, as shown in Figure 1, to effect movement of the wedge members out of wedging position the leg 9 is angularly adjusted on its pivotal connection with the camera supporting base I4 so that it will extend at an acute angle to the top of said base or head. The head I6 may be formed integral with the leg section I0 or constructed separately therefrom and mounted in the enlarged end portion at the end of said leg section, as shown.

The construction and arrangement of the tripod leg shown in Figures and 6 is the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2. However, the wedge members consist of segments 26 arranged to ring form when disposed in the space l1 between the head IG and leg section 9, and said segments are yieldingly urged to wedging position by a coil spring 2I coiled about the head I6 and confined between the plate I9 and the segmental members 20.

The construction and arrangement of tripod leg shown in Figures 3 and 4 is the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2 except that the balls IS instead of being disposed in a circular row in the space I1 between the head portion I6 and the leg section 9 there are only three balls engaged in three recesses or spiral grooves 22 opening at one end through the side of the head I6 at the base thereof and the grooves extending to the opposite end of the head. In this arrangement the leg sections are secured or locked together by wedging the balls between the wall of the leg section 9 and the bottom of the grooves eiected by imparting rotative movement to the leg section I0 to the right and thereby causing the balls to be impinged against the wall of the leg section 9 and wedged between said wall and the bottom of the grooves 22. To move the balls out of Wedging position and release the leg sections 9, I0 and permit telescoping adjustment of the leg sections rotative movement is imparted to the leg section l0 in the opposite direction or to the left.

In the arrangement of Figures 7 and 8 the leg sections are of the same structure as in Figures 1 to 6. However, the means to releasably secure or lock the leg sections together comprises a cup member 23 having the body or side wall at the open end flanged laterally at a right angle, as at 25, and said flange arranged as a series of segmental sections by radial slits or incisions 24 equidistantly spaced about the flange, and said segmental sections flanged laterally upon themselves substantially to rectangular form, as at 26, with the end terminating adjacent the body of the cup member and the flanged segmental sections circumscribing a circle having a diameter substantially the same as the internal diameter of the leg sections. The cup member is carried at the end of the leg section I0 Within the leg section 9, for which purpose the bottom of the cup member is juxtaposed to a plug 21 seated in the enlarged end I2 of the leg section I0 and secured thereto by a screw extended through an opening in a block 28 juxtaposed to the inside 0f the bottom of the cup member opposed to the plug 21 and the screw threaded into an opening in said plug 21. The flanges of the'cup member 29 are arranged so that the rectangular iianged portions 26 frictionally engage the inner surface of the leg section 9 and any force applied to the leg sections acting to move the leg section I0 into the leg section 9 will more firmly impinge said portions 26 against the section 9 and more securely secure or lock the leg sections together. Any force applied to the leg section I0 acting to move the same outwardly from the leg section 9 will cause said portions 26 to be flexed on the connection thereof with the side Wall of the cup member, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 7, said cup member being made of resilient material.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A tripod supporting leg comprising tubularv telescoping sections, the one leg section having a truncated conical head at the end within the other leg section arranged with spiral grooves in the outer surface thereof, and balls movably engaging in said grooves between said conical head and the outer leg section adapted by the rotative movement of the telescoping leg sections relative to each other in one direction to be wedged between said grooves and the outer leg section and secure the leg sections together, and by the rotative movement of the leg sections in the opposite direction move said balls out of wedging position and release the leg sections.

HERMAN NEUWIRTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,867,559 Beck July 19, 1932 1,194,551 Schossler Aug. 15, 1916 2,019,753 Wittel Nov. 5, 1935 2,261,505 Schlesinger Nov. 4, 1941 

